Chechen warlord says he ordered Moscow airport blast

by Tiffany Millar on February 8, 2011

Chechen warlord Doku Umarov, one of Russia’s most wanted men has claimed responsibility for ordering last month’s deadly bomb attack at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport. The suicide attack left killed 36 and injured 180 people.

A video posted online shows the warlord saying the attack was in retaliation of Russian atrocities in the Caucasus. He also warned that there’d be more such suicide attacks.

One of the few prominent Chechen rebels still active, Mr Umarov is leader of the Caucasus Emirate, an Islamist militant group in the North Caucasus. From 1996 to 1999, he was security minister in the Chechen separatist government.

On the list of Mr Umarov claims of responsibility are also the March 2010 suicide bombings on the Moscow metro that killed 39 people, and a St Petersburg bound train explosion that took the life of 26.

In the online video, the warlord appears in fatigues and states that the special operation was carried out upon his orders and that, God willing, there’d be more. He also talked at length about the plight of Muslims worldwide, claiming they are under attack from Zionists and Christians led by United States and Israel.

Mr Umarov went on to assert that his army is out to establish the word of Allah and that there are hundreds of brothers willing to sacrifice their lives to that end. He promised much more aggressive attacks.